March 25, 2011

On occasion, we get a phone call that changes things... it changes the way that we look back and it changes the way that we look forward. On Tuesday of this week I received one of those calls... I answered the phone to hear Jimmy Taylor's breaking voice on the phone. Without hesitation I asked what was wrong... Jim said, 'It's Jerry' and he went on to tell me that Jerry had landed the H1N1 Flu Virus and had been in the hospital since March 7th with a bad case of pneumonia. Needles to say, my heart dropped as he went on to explain that Jerry probably was not going to recover and family members were headed to New York to be by Jerry's side. More news came from Jim early on Wednesday morning that Jerry had passed away. From the moment of that first call, my heart ached and my mind opened up to the many memories I have that involve Jerry, Jimmy, and the Taylor family. From daring each other to drink pepper juice, to skiing off the roof (sorry Ed), getting snow-mobile's stuck in trees, getting sent home from ski trips, playing Johnny Quest at Boysen Reservoir, sneaking into the Wind River Canyon train tunnel, many other too numerous to name... not to mention a good number of other memories that should never be shared publicly :-).

Jerry, you may no longer be with us physically, but you will never, ever be forgotten... a large bit of your spirit will live on in all of us who crossed your path. Rest in God's Peace, my friend....

November 21, 2008

Middle French proximité, from Latin proximitat-, proximitas, from proximus

Date:

15th century

: the quality or state of being proximate:closeness

It seems to me that a lot of what happens in our lives is heavily influenced by proximity... our proximity to people, things, events etc. In some cases this is all part of our daily rhythm. Sometimes we are close to mundane, ordinary things and some days we find ourselves in close proximity to extra-ordinary things that transform the way we see the world or the way we experience life. As I think about this a number of things come to mind... I remember a commute from Wichita to Kansas City when I was in close proximity to a fatal accident that claimed the life of a man driving home from work... I recall being in close proximity to the miracle of birth when our boys were born... I remember being in close proximity to my wife when we said our wedding vows...I recall times in my life when I was close enough to someone or something that made me believe beyond a shadow of any doubt that there is something bigger than we can imagine that has set this world and our lives in motion. Sometimes we are in close proximity to big things and sometimes we are in close proximity to little things... but in some way each of these experiences in their own way have a profound impact on our reality. Today was one of those days... today I stood in the middle of a snow covered road in Glacier National Park and glared into the eyes of a wolf... my very first real life wolf experience. Maybe one aspect of proximity has something to do with our ability, or willingness, to be 'present' in the world or to take time out from our busy lives to step into a situation where anything can happen...

October 02, 2008

Last night, we took time to watch the season premier of Friday Night Lights and it got me to thinking back a couple of weeks to our first outing to the Polson High School home opener football game. It was an awesome experience that reminded me of football games in my small hometown in Wyoming. In places like Polson, football has a different feel than it does in Wichita where the rival teams are just across town. In this case, and in many rural areas, teams travel from around the state to play in stadiums where the hometown fans rally around their teams and cheer them towards a victory. It is exciting to be in a place where the whole town supports just one team. The Polson Pirates lost, but the game was amazing... the referee's whistle pierced the crisp fall air... the sun set over the mountains during the opening minutes of the first half...the stadium lights could be seen for miles...and the atmosphere was electric. Speaking of Pirates, I am reminded of the correlation between pirates and Global Warning. With an increase in the number of Pirates taking the field in Polson... and an increase in the number of Pirates attacking ships off the coast of Somalia... it seems that we should be gaining some ground on the Global Warming issue. I think we have a reversing effect on our hands. As you can plainly see below, an increase in the number of pirates would mean a decrease in the Global Average Temperature. If you are dying to know more go here.

August 08, 2008

Yikes!!! It looks like it has been a spell since the last post. The last four weeks have kept us fairly busy. At the top of the list is Julie's march toward recovery from her thyroid cancer surgery. On July 14th she had an opportunity to swallow the magic pill... or radioactive iodine as some call it. This was an interesting ordeal. She basically had to stay of contact with humans and animals for three days, so she quarantined herself at camp Byers for a little R and R. This afforded the boys and I an opportunity to batch it and hold down the fort out at the ranch... we survived (with a little food help from the church folks) Actually, we had to work for food one afternoon out at the Vrooman Ranch. We helped out one afternoon with a little haying project... I think that is one of my new pastoral duties. Anyhoo... the radioactive iodine treatment was part of the process to see if Julie had any active thyroid left in her system, to kill it off, and to tell us if the cancer had spread. On July 24th we went back Missoula so that Julie could have a full body scan. MY new DS, Su DeBree, came over from Helena to sit with Jake and I while Julie was in for the scan and then gave us a little tour of Missoula. Overall the scan went well, only showing some traces of iodine in her neck. So for now it looks as if she is free and clear of cancer. Yahoo!! She has been on her thyroid replacement medication for nearly three weeks now and is gaining strength and energy every day.

We have tried, over the past few weeks, to keep the boys entertained... Zach took part in a basketball camp and spent a week at middler camp at the Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp while Jake took in a soccer camp in Polson. Hopefully these activities have given the boys a break from us and each other and has allowed them to settle in a bit. It seems like there is a festival every week around here... Cherry Fest, 3 on 3 bsketball, car show, etc. We are all excited to be moving into our new house. we closed on the 31st of July and plan to move in on the 18th of August. It has been great living out at the ranch, but it will also be nice to unpack our stuff.

This week has been pretty busy for us. On August 1st, Julie and Jake flew out to Seattle for Julie's parent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Zach and I drove out on Sunday after church to join Julie, Jake, and her family out at her Uncle's beach house for a family reunion. It was great to be at the beach and great to take a few days off. It's also great to be a days drive away from Seattle, the ocean, and Julie's parents. This was the first trip to the Pacific for the boys. We spent one morning hiking on the beach, playing in the water, collecting sand dollars, and playing with deceased jelly fish. As it turns our I am allergic to sea water... following our first jaunt out into the ocean I broke out in hives. So that's good news... I'm only allergic to two thirds of the globe. I think it was a reaction to an algae blossom, so it may have only been a one time thing, or maybe I shouldn't play with jellyfish. One afternoon we ventured down to Ilwaco to meet up with one of Julie's brothers and two of his sons who were Salmon fishing for the day. They caught 6 and we ate well.

As I write this short post I am sitting in the main Lodge at the Methodist Camp on Flathead Lake. The camp is about thirty miles from our house and is an incredible place to spend a few days. This week is Sr. High Camp and I have been invited to help out. Youth and counselors from across Montana and Wyoming have gathered here for a week fun and spiritual formation. The youth are inspiring and full of energy which makes for a refreshing time. Not as many bugs as the Kansas camps, but a pile of bats flying around. Oh, and did I mention it's in the 40's and 50's at night... how awesome is that?

July 11, 2008

Well, today marks the two-week point of our new adventure to Montana. Overall, I’d say things are going pretty well. Week one was pretty exciting with Vacation Bible School being capped off with all of the kids participating in the 4th of July parade. The kiddos, with a few adult leaders and the counselors from the ELCA camp, walked the parade route and shared the songs that they learned during the week. The parade was awesome!! It was a typical small town Independence Day parade with all the trimmings… shrine clowns, farm equipment, custom cars, fire engines, local politicians, zero radius lawn mowers… the weather was great and Main street was packed. Week one also included my first preaching opportunity and our second opportunity to worship together as a family at our new church. The folks here at the church organized a liturgical appointment celebration during worship and hosted a great reception following worship. As well, during worship I was presented with a hand quilted stole, and as a family we were presented with a Montana memory quilt. Our first official Sunday came to a close with some casting practice on the church lawn and a two-hour fishing derby on the city dock. Week two included a Polson Pirate basketball camp for Zach, a little laundry down at the local suds and duds, more unpacking, a United Methodist Women’s luncheon for Julie, a few introductory meals at some of the local restaurants, and several shooting lessons with the BB gun. Mountains…a Lake…fishing licenses…target practice…we are definitely in Montana.

In addition to the vocational adjustment, we are also adjusting to our temporary hacienda. As I mentioned previously, we are staying on a ranch that is located about 35 minutes northwest of town in an area known as Irvine Flats. The house is great… described this way by our new friends and church members the Gardner’s, “… there are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a full daylight basement. The house has a one car garage attached. We are your closest neighbors one mile away, after that your nearest neighbors would be about 3 miles away. Needless to say we live in a remote area! The [whole] house [walls and ceilings] is finished in knotty pine and was built in the 1980's, in fact our home and other buildings on the ranch are all knotty pine which the previous owner must have loved! Anyway there is a sizeable yard, one golden willow, several spruce trees. You have a beautiful view of the Mission Mountains and the valley around you and lots of open space. The house is watered by a gravity flow spring.” That pretty much sums it up… I’d say that we are still getting used to the remoteness, the drive to town, and all that goes with living in the country, but it suits us well. The days here are very long, but no two are alike… each day the mountains have a different and unique look, the sky and fields look different with every passing cloud and the stars at night are amazingly bright. The wind varies from a light breeze to very strong, loud gusts. It’s in the 80’s during the day and in the 50’s at night… 51% humidity yesterday… a great break from the heat and humidity that we had grown accustomed to in Kansas. As I write this there are a pack of coyotes howling off in the distance, and I am sure that we will be greeted once again in the morning by a wide variety of birds singing from the trees outside our bedroom window. Half of them sing sweet little tunes and half of them are Magpies who sing like I do… not so sweet.

The pace, as we expected, is quite different around here and will take some time to get used to. This is a huge change for the Calhoun family, but I am confident that we will survive the transition and be better for it. The folks at the church are very supportive, very helpful, and seem to be very patient with us. We are still adjusting to being together all of the time. Four years of me being away part of every week and pre-occupied with seminary has definitely taken a toll regarding how we relate as a family. It definitely feels good to have the stress of seminary off our shoulders…

Update on Julie… She is hanging in there, but is extremely tired and ready to get on her thyroid medication. On Tuesday she had some blood work and on Wednesday she went to Missoula to see the endocrinologist because her thyroid levels were ‘extremely low’… since both sides of her thyroid are now gone I think we could have provided that information to the doctor without the blood test. Anyhoo… the doctor did give her a thyroid replacement prescription that she can start taking on Thursday of next week. On Monday, she goes back to Missoula for her radioactive iodine treatment… lots of rules go along with this treatment… basically, she has to stay away from us (and pregnant people) for a couple of days. It looks like she will spend a few days out at a lake house that has been offered. We are hoping, and assume, that her energy level will come back up after she has been on the medication for a few days. In a couple of weeks Julie will return to Missoula for a full body scan to see if there is cancer anywhere else in her body… this scan has her feeling a bit anxious, so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers over the coming weeks…

July 01, 2008

Well…It’s been a very busy couple of weeks… Our trip to Montana began on June 15th, the day after I returned from the Yellowstone Annual Conference in Billings… We spent Sunday rounding up the U-Haul, packing, and loading the truck. The next day, Monday, the 16th, we were caught a bit off guard by some news from one of Julie’s doctors that she had Thyroid Cancer. After weighing the options… surgery in Wichita or waiting a few weeks and having the surgery in Missoula… we opted to postpone our departure and have the surgery. By 3:00 we were at the hospital, by 7:30 Julie was in surgery, and by 9:30 she had been relieved of both sides of her thyroid and a small cancerous cyst the size of a plum. After several days of rest at the Kromer Inn and Recovery Spa, Julie was ready to make the trek north. In a week or so, Julie will meet with a oncologist in the area for a radioactive iodine treatment and some testing… we’ll keep you all posted prognosis… please continue to pray for Julie and her recovery.

The days following Julie’s surgery we had lots of help packing and loading… we closed on our house in Wichita on Friday the 20th and by Sunday we were on our way to Montana... Two U-Hauls, the ol’ trusty Dodge Dakota, a Mark, a Julie, a Zach, a Jake, a Samson, and a Nammy. All in all it was a great trip… we hit most of our pilgrimage stops along the way… Taco Johns… LaFonda De Acebo... the Golden Holiday Inn…etc. We spent a rest day in Lander at my parent’s house, loaded up my mom’s friend Donna and took out for Big Sky Country. We arrived in Polson on Thursday the 26th, unloaded one truck at a storage facility, 30 or 40 boxes at the church, and spent Friday unloading the big truck into a rental house. For the month of July we will be staying on the Ranch of church members, Greg and Lynn Gardner. The ranch encompasses over 10,000 acres and is located about 17 miles Northwest of Polson. The days are very long here… the sun rises early and set tonight at 10:38 pm… It feels a tad remote where we are… it is very dark and night (no city lights) and it is very quiet and peaceful… it has taken us all a few days to settle in. We went to church on Sunday and met lots of new people… it’s exciting and a bit intimidating all at the same time. Vacation Bible School is this week so we have been hanging out there in the mornings. For the past several years our church has teamed up with 4 other area churches for Vacation Bible School. This year, VBS is being held at the Lutheran church and is led by counselors from the Lutheran camp that is located about 20 miles up the road.

We are without satellite TV (we do have a DVD player though… ran “A River Runs Through It” last night and tonight) , phone, and internet service out at the ranch so things are pretty quiet… it is a nice break from the life we have been living… nobody is going crazy… yet. Tonight was our 4th night out at the ranch an our first major thunderstorm… amazing… it was quite an experience to watch the storm roll in from the mountains… the storm moved extremely slowly and settled in on top of us for several hours… the moisture will definitely help control the dust on the roads in the area.

Oops… forgot to mention one exciting thing… during our first night here in Polson a dang black bear decided to paw paint our truck… he didn’t get in, but he did do a fine job of wiping his muddy paws all over the back of the truck… the dog food was in the back of the truck in an air-tight container, but we think he sniffed it out anyways…

Today was my first official day in the new appointment!! A tad quiet around the ol’ church house… I did get to answer the phone twice… ‘First United Methodist Church, this is Mark’… but they were both wrong number calls.

April 14, 2008

Last Wednesday, Julie and I stepped onto a plane in Wichita and stepped off the plane in Missoula, Montana. The primary purpose of the outing was for an "introductory" meeting with the staff parish ministry team of a congregation that had been discerned for us by the Bishop and cabinet of the Yellowstone Conference of the United Methodist Church. We were greeted by District Superintendent , Rev. Su DeBree, who then drove us about an hour north of Missoula to Polson, Montana. While a good portion of the drive was in the dark, we were glad to be greeted by a few snow flurries as we pulled into town. Our hosts for the two-day excursion were Bob (staff parish chair) and Diane Byers, who invited us to stay at there home on the lake. With the anxiety of the next day's meeting on my mind, and curious thoughts of the town and the scenery consuming my thoughts, I had a hard time sleeping. After surviving the night, we awoke to the illumination of the sun,to the lake, to an island, and to the mountains that filled the window in our room. The sight was amazing.

Prior to our afternoon meeting, we were able to tour the town, the church, the schools, and some of the neighborhoods. Our morning ended with lunch at a local cafe located in the downtown Polson area, more touring and eventually our introductory meeting at the church in the afternoon. After a few hours of getting to know one another, and a brief time of deliberation, the church folks along with the DS, came to the conclusion that they would indeed like to have me as their new pastor and our family as part of their congregation. The reality of the news was overwhelming, but Julie and I were instantly excited about what the future holds for our family in this incredible town.

Polson, a town of over 4,000 people, is located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in the Northwest corner of Montana. The town sits on the southern edge of Flathead Lake and is surrounded by mountains. Our new church is First United Methodist Church of Polson. The church has about 118 members with an average worship attendance of 54. Next year, Polson UMC will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The church moved into a portion of its current building in 1993 and into the sanctuary in 1997. We are extremely excited about the opportunities that await us in Polson, and we are especially excited about the chance to move back to our home region of the country. Please keep our family and the Polson church in your prayers as we both enter into a time of transition. We plan to arrive in Polson around the middle of June.

April 04, 2006

Yesterday, marked my 52nd commute to Kansas City. While the first 51 were relatively uneventful, this one was quite different. Getting a late start, I got to Kansas City about 3pm. As I traveled through the city I was passed, on both sides, by two small cars that appeared to be racing. I clearly remember thinking, "These two cars are going to end up causing and accident." As I completed that thought, I rounded a corner on the interstate and rapidly approached one of the cars that was sitting sideways in the Interstate, beyond the car, I noticed a truck laying in the ditch. The truck was heavily damaged and appeared to have rolled several times. Being among the first few cars to arrive at the scene I felt compelled to stop and lend a hand. Within a few moments it was clear that someone had been ejected, and was pinned under the truck. Numerous attempts were made to tend to the person, but it was not until the Emergency Rescue Vehicles arrived at the site, that the truck could be rolled out of the way and the individual's injuries could be assessed. Sadly, the Victim, David Bassore, was pronounced dead at the scene (News Report). As I think back, the circumstances of those moments still seem a bit surreal. At that moment, as I felt so helpless, and even at this moment my thoughts and prayers are turned toward David and his family and friends. As I read various articles about David on the Internet, he seems to have been an amazing individual. Please pray for the Bassore family over the coming days.